SimCity 4

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 360 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 305 out of 360
  2. Mixed: 46 out of 360
  3. Negative: 9 out of 360
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  1. GuilhemC
    Feb 3, 2007
    10
    This is the best game I have ever played in my intire life! one of the best parts of the game is destroying the city with the ufo, robots, meteors and so on..... BUY IT!
  2. malkin8
    Oct 10, 2018
    10
    Simcity 4 is an outstanding game. I have grown up all my life with Simcity, and by far, this is the best game in the series. My first experience of Simcity came from Simcity Ds when I was about 8 years old, and have been playing ever since. Compared to Simcity 3000, this game is a huge step up.
    Clearly aimed at experienced, PC gaming, simulator loving gamers, Simcity can satisfy all of    Simcity 4 is an outstanding game. I have grown up all my life with Simcity, and by far, this is the best game in the series. My first experience of Simcity came from Simcity Ds when I was about 8 years old, and have been playing ever since. Compared to Simcity 3000, this game is a huge step up.
    Clearly aimed at experienced, PC gaming, simulator loving gamers, Simcity can satisfy all of the requirements that are needed to make a great city simulator, and does so much more to interest the player.

    The game is orientated around grittier city building, or large gleaming metropolises, which, to a long term player, is a great change from the previous installments - where the design choices and city genres seemed somewhat limited.

    With so many buildings to choose from, you may expect a steep difficulty curve, which indeed is apparent as you play the game. However, there is a certain satisfaction as your first high-rises begin to develop!

    In my opinion, an important factor in gaming, is the music, as it creates most of the atmosphere. Simcity 4 does impress; it impresses a lot. The ambient music in the regional view, combined with the gritty, hard jazz in the mayor view, combine to create an incredible atmosphere, incomparable to previous entries in the series, despite the impressive jazz tracks in Simcity 3000. My favorite track in the game, known as ‘Zone System’ is an example of the perfection of ambient, gritty, depressing, but most of all, interesting, city-sounding music. It sets the atmosphere of the game perfectly, and captures the player’s and the sim’s emotions as you expand your corrupt city into a gleaming paradise.

    One of Simcity 4’s main selling points, is the region view. This is a grid of differently sized square plots, all connected together. Compared to Simcity 5, this set up is perfect. It allows players to create a huge metropolis, which would not have been possible in a single city, with a total plot size that would be impossible otherwise to run on a computer today, let alone back in 2003.
    Each individual cell, either 256x256, 128x128 or 64x64 tiles, can be landscaped by the player before creating their city. This could involve creating mountains, valleys, rivers, oceans or really any land form that the player could dream of.

    Alternatively, the player has the possibility to import maps off of Simtropolis, and though difficult to install, adds an extra element to the game – I’m currently working on a city in a region shaped as the UK, with the landscape shaped from a high detailed height map.

    Another selling point of the game is the implementation of features from The Sims. While these features are not necessary, they add a certain charm to the game. They allow the player to drive cars, fly planes, ride boats, control trains, or even drive a tank whilst destroying buildings with missiles.

    An important part of gaming is certainly the graphics and aesthetics, and Simcity 4 does not disappoint. The graphics, while pixelated once zoomed in, are amazing. Loads of buildings have interesting features, even with customized gardens or small details such as cars. The view of the game is isometric, and the player can rotate the view by 90 degrees, in order to see parts of the map that may be hidden. This is an important feature, especially when working around hills. What I would have liked though is a feature where the player could view the map from birds-eye-view, but I can understand there may have been hardware limitations back in 2003 that may have made this impossible.

    Simcity 4 gives the player access to many natural disasters and scenarios. Meteorites, tornadoes and earthquakes can be summoned by the player at any time, along with many other disasters. An example of an interesting scenario is if a nuclear power plant explodes, causing a lot of radiation to be expelled into the city. This can be interesting if the player wants a challenge, or just fun to destroy a huge metropolis!

    Simcity 4 does have a few problems however, though not major if you know how to overcome them. The most prominent problem is the commute time being too difficult to manage.

    Another issue is the constant industrial demand, where the player would need to build huge cities dedicated only towards industrial. This can be rather boring, as industrial development is limited, but can be improved by adding a mod that quarters the industrial demand.

    Overall, Simcity 4 is a steal on Origin! For such an amazing game as this, with so many customization options, and such amazing music and game play, it is definitely worth the low price, despite being 15 years old. I would rate Simcity 4 a 10/10 simply for the enjoyment of the playing the game, but I would recommend that new players start with an easier game, Simcity 3000 or Simcity Ds, in order to introduce themselves to the basic fundamental ideas of how to play and manage a city.    … Expand
  3. [Anonymous]
    Jan 16, 2003
    10
    Not just an evolutionary step, a truly revolutionary one! Far more immersive than past efforts, and as much micro management as you want (or don't). Perfect!
  4. BennettM.
    Mar 1, 2003
    7
    SimCity as it was meant to be. Beautiful and well done, this game will delight any SimCity fan. However, finances are ludicrously impossible, and the game is merely a perfection of the previous games, and is really nothing new.
  5. K.W.
    Jan 31, 2005
    10
    One of the best computer games ever made! Such a great timekiller!
  6. WaltB
    Oct 29, 2009
    9
    This is a good game that has become excellent over time with additional PC processing power, graphics and even user-made add-ons. Probably the deepest and best City simulator of all time.
  7. CaKeS
    Dec 29, 2013
    9
    The perfect city-building simulation game! I've spent SO many hours of my childhood making cities and destroying them, that I lost track years ago. I've always held this game in a special place in my heart, and for good reason. It's very well constructed, it seems accurate enough (from a citizen's standpoint), the graphics do not disappoint for it's time period, the gameplay isThe perfect city-building simulation game! I've spent SO many hours of my childhood making cities and destroying them, that I lost track years ago. I've always held this game in a special place in my heart, and for good reason. It's very well constructed, it seems accurate enough (from a citizen's standpoint), the graphics do not disappoint for it's time period, the gameplay is exhilarating and keeps you on your toes. It feels great to be in control of a city of hundreds of thousands of people (for me, even a million!). It makes you feel accurately powerful and that you've truly accomplished something. I played this SimCity before any of the others, but I believe this one's the best either way. The control and interface is spot-on perfect, and all of the utilities and missions you can do keep you interested for hours and hours! There was so much promise in this game series, as this was in my top three all-time favorite games growing up (before I got into Steam and such), but my god EA, SimCity 5 is probably the biggest gaming disappointment in my entire life.… Expand
  8. WilliamG.
    Jan 3, 2005
    10
    Best sim city ever created!!!!!
  9. NickM.
    Mar 20, 2007
    9
    Awesome game, its about as realistic as a game can get as far as strategy....the only thing keeping it from being a ten is some slight technical problems: it takes forever to load, it occasionally has some freezing problems....but the problems aren't major enough for me to stop playin it....its worth it.
  10. LuisL.
    Apr 20, 2003
    10
    C'est magnifique.
  11. JosephJ.
    Apr 26, 2004
    10
    NICE!!!
  12. KevinG.
    Oct 25, 2006
    8
    It took me three goes to get it right but eventually I got my city off the ground. But the budgeting is ridiculous in this game, you should have more sources of income to counterbalance the seemingly enourmous drains of utilities, services etc. But other wise a great game maybe too hard for someone not used to the previous titles.
  13. JoshH.
    Apr 5, 2006
    9
    Superb they must make a fith game. Not sure which is better, 3000 or 4 but who cares, buy this game(and its expansion, makes it way better) BUY IT
  14. SamF.
    Sep 24, 2006
    9
    Once you start playing your hooked... trying to balance out money, your sims happiness and all the available infrastructure is an amazing feat. Best yet.
  15. GOD
    Jan 15, 2003
    10
    Endorsed by me!
  16. LenaS.
    Nov 3, 2004
    10
    Beatiful graphics & feeling, a great timekiller!
  17. JacobK.
    Apr 24, 2004
    10
    This game was weird when I first played it becouse almost nothing is based on tiles. then i found out you can make tress in exact spots it takes time to make stuff, it makes it seem like when you make something, that it falls from the sky, you can see people everywhere practicle, and that you can terraform before you start your city for free in god mode. You start with $100,000. Its justThis game was weird when I first played it becouse almost nothing is based on tiles. then i found out you can make tress in exact spots it takes time to make stuff, it makes it seem like when you make something, that it falls from the sky, you can see people everywhere practicle, and that you can terraform before you start your city for free in god mode. You start with $100,000. Its just overloaded my brain with fun. when i quit and walked out of my room i think i found a little pice of my brain by the light switch(LOL).… Expand
  18. KalanYamato
    Mar 21, 2013
    9
    An incredible game, it has kept me entertained for so many years making cities is very fun and the simulation is quite deep and complex, but sitll retaining a fair difficulty level for those less patient (coming from someone who plays in Rush Hour). Great Sim City.
  19. BeatHour
    Jul 7, 2013
    7
    I wrote a scathing review before, but I have to say the game isn't quite that bad. Sure, it has a quite a few crash bugs and falls flat in some places, but altogether the regional map is nice and the development of the city is fun to watch and manipulate. There are some annoying things, like terrain pathing for building placements (like, a lot of the time housing built on a hill will justI wrote a scathing review before, but I have to say the game isn't quite that bad. Sure, it has a quite a few crash bugs and falls flat in some places, but altogether the regional map is nice and the development of the city is fun to watch and manipulate. There are some annoying things, like terrain pathing for building placements (like, a lot of the time housing built on a hill will just make a garage spring up). But more than that isn't to be expected from a 10 year old game, which was just getting a grip on its technology.

    Still, here's some points from that old review that I still think are worthy of consideration:

    "SimCity 4 loses much in the way of atmosphere from the previous title. The great caricatures from SimCity 3000 are replaced with sprites from The Sims (classic) when Sims 2 was already out. What? There's still the uptown jazz, but some of it is annoying and repetitive. Graphically, its only a marginal improvement over SimCity 3000 and doesn't fully utilize hardware available at the time.

    As to mechanics, there's not much to do but zoning and planning. One of the reasons why SimCity (2013) revolutionizes the series is because it gives you something more to do than just lay down streets, pipes, and zones. Once you get everything layed out, you'll find there's nothing to do but build a new city.

    There's also some arbitrary things like power lines, which have no real purpose except making islands a little harder to play. Not really, because you can just lay down one wind turbine and its all good."    … Expand
  20. Osmium
    Jul 30, 2013
    8
    To this day, still the best city building simulation (and certainly so much better than the lastest Sim City). Sim City 4 lets you play God and create your own region, terrain, and of course cities. Design, build, destroy your own cities, so much fun. Gets repetitive, but only after something like 50 or more hours once you have discovered all the special buildings. And then you can stillTo this day, still the best city building simulation (and certainly so much better than the lastest Sim City). Sim City 4 lets you play God and create your own region, terrain, and of course cities. Design, build, destroy your own cities, so much fun. Gets repetitive, but only after something like 50 or more hours once you have discovered all the special buildings. And then you can still gets dozens of great mods for this game. Definitely recommendable for anyone who from time to time feels like actually creating stuff in a videogame rather than destroying.… Expand
  21. WCheffirs
    Dec 8, 2013
    10
    Over a decade on there is nothing that comes close to SimCIty 4. The map size is huge, the detail and graphics are beautiful especially at night-time and the core of the game is challenging but very rewarding. Starting as an agricultural city with high profit ratios, your city expands and many of the corresponding issues that plague big cities build up till you find yourself trying toOver a decade on there is nothing that comes close to SimCIty 4. The map size is huge, the detail and graphics are beautiful especially at night-time and the core of the game is challenging but very rewarding. Starting as an agricultural city with high profit ratios, your city expands and many of the corresponding issues that plague big cities build up till you find yourself trying to juggle all your cities demands. Unlike previous and future SimCity games this one is enthralling from start till...we always which can become a problem for ones social life. I consider this to be a perfect game.… Expand
  22. DiogoC
    Jun 28, 2008
    10
    The improved graphics and the marvelous taste of challenge makes this the best SimCity ever!
  23. nichollz
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    This game is stunning and so far ahead of its time it's crazy. Probably Maxis' finest achievement. Will anyone be playing SimCity2013 in 10 years?......
  24. Ian277
    Feb 8, 2013
    9
    one of the best game i have played. you can create entire countries and continents, shape mountains an plains. and also create beautiful and intricate cities. many good things about this game, and a few cons of annoying advisers and bad pollution.
  25. Daneoid
    Mar 7, 2013
    10
    The last true simcity to be made. The epic culmination of the games that came before it, presented with perfect, goal driven gameplay, a steep learning curve that screamed out accomplishment! when you overcame it, so many hours, so much creativity to be had, easily moddable, one of the top 5 games ever made.
  26. CRL
    Jul 25, 2011
    7
    Once you get the hang of building a city, this game will eat up hours without you noticing. It's fun, challenging, realistic enough... and sometimes if you're having a bad day, it's just what you need to send an asteroid crashing down into a city.
  27. MrDMan
    Mar 10, 2013
    10
    A city simulation that allows for total control and customization. Ten years later the game is still a huge hit with the modding community and still has plenty of replay value. I'm not sure there will ever be another city simulation game like this one.
  28. MattR.
    Feb 8, 2003
    5
    This game lacks the spirit and fun of the earlier games. It is also much too hard, in the sense that going bankrupt is a given. The graphics are great, but the game is very taxing on even a high end rig. Also, there are stability issues that cause the program to crash.
  29. Nick
    May 3, 2003
    1
    Games crashes after every 5 minutes. Despite fast machine and all patches, divers etc downloaded. Think twice....
  30. MattD.
    Sep 18, 2003
    3
    While the mechanics of the game have been improved yet again (saving this from the possibility of a 2 or lower), making it much more realistic, the designers seem to have forgotten one thing: when there are a lot more things to drain your money, you should start with MORE MONEY. In short, an "easy" game here is the rough equivalent of the hardest levels on SC2K and SC3K, and a "hard" While the mechanics of the game have been improved yet again (saving this from the possibility of a 2 or lower), making it much more realistic, the designers seem to have forgotten one thing: when there are a lot more things to drain your money, you should start with MORE MONEY. In short, an "easy" game here is the rough equivalent of the hardest levels on SC2K and SC3K, and a "hard" game... *gag* don't even make me talk about it. The ridiculously high difficulty has kept me from playing this game enjoyably and has put me back into the mood to design a competitor to this game... all the ability to micromanage your city, but with a much nicer learning curve.… Expand
  31. Blahguy126
    Mar 11, 2013
    9
    One of the last good games published by EA before the next-gen consoles rolled around and shoved multiplayer and DLC down our throats.
    Fantastic soundtrack, fair gameplay, great terraforming controls, unlimited possibility... this game has it all in terms of simulations.
  32. RomulusNR
    Jan 20, 2015
    5
    I don't think any of the reviewers have even played this game beyond twenty minutes' worth. For starters, the move and zoom interface is horrible. And the game shifts your view suddenly -- so you were laying a bit of pipe right over there? Boom, now it's suddenly over here, because **** you. Oh, you were demolishing some old dirty industrial? Well, there was a fire over here -- boom,I don't think any of the reviewers have even played this game beyond twenty minutes' worth. For starters, the move and zoom interface is horrible. And the game shifts your view suddenly -- so you were laying a bit of pipe right over there? Boom, now it's suddenly over here, because **** you. Oh, you were demolishing some old dirty industrial? Well, there was a fire over here -- boom, demolish the military base that was giving you a much-needed $150/mo injection. Well, look on the bright side -- the fire's put out!

    You need a police station every mile and a fire station every half mile. Oh, you actually wanted to FUND those? Fat chance. You can't possibly make that much in taxes in that amount of space.

    Cutting back on utilities to save money? Well, you're going to have to shell out $90-200 at the start of every single month and painstakingly repair every burst pipe. No money? Tough crap. Game won't continue until you deal with every single one. Every month.

    This is a piece of **** and isn't worth sharing a name with its predecessors. It has all the feel of a cheaply made and very rushed-out-the-door game. This is about quality in game development -- there isn't any. Hiring GED-wielding kids to "test" your games isn't a quality process. They wouldn't know how to test their own heartbeat.    … Expand
  33. Shawndroid
    Feb 26, 2018
    4
    Bought this years late. The resolution stays at 4:3 making it hard to play on a laptop monitor and there is no detail at zoom levels with a broad enough view.
  34. Izoeros
    Apr 26, 2022
    8
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  35. CalebW.
    Jan 3, 2005
    10
    The game in itself is great, but if you want more, you can make your own custom plugins such as buildings. For a sample of some of the custom content available, go to www.simtropolis.com and go to the exchange.
  36. Jerik02
    Mar 10, 2013
    10
    This game is so great simply because it has a HUGE, thriving modding community. You can literally re-create your hometown in exacting detail by downloading stores which exist just down the street. You can build the mega-city of your dreams and tie it to a region of other cities. Simple mods allow you to set city and region sizes as big or as small as you want. This game has all theThis game is so great simply because it has a HUGE, thriving modding community. You can literally re-create your hometown in exacting detail by downloading stores which exist just down the street. You can build the mega-city of your dreams and tie it to a region of other cities. Simple mods allow you to set city and region sizes as big or as small as you want. This game has all the functionality it should have, plus any mods you'd like to add. It is amazing how good this game is compared to SimCity 2013, which doesn't even have half the features this game does. It is also Origin (spyware) free, DRM free and you can save your game to your own computer! You don't need to log onto a server to play a single player game!… Expand
  37. realreview97
    Mar 11, 2011
    8
    Simcity 4 is a classic. The game's pretty hard but it really has the pure city simulation feel to it that the more recent city building games lack. The basis of Simcity 4 is rather complex and the source of a succesful city in the game is successful zoning of the three available zoning types; residential/industrial and commercial. Your city will boom with population and the economy asSimcity 4 is a classic. The game's pretty hard but it really has the pure city simulation feel to it that the more recent city building games lack. The basis of Simcity 4 is rather complex and the source of a succesful city in the game is successful zoning of the three available zoning types; residential/industrial and commercial. Your city will boom with population and the economy as you progress with carefully planned zoning. Simcity 4 also requires water supply, electricity and many other things to secure a fully stable city. The game is certainly not for begineers. The first time i played it i was like 'What the?!' and i went to playing average games like Simcity Societies and Cities XL 2011 though Citylife was a good one. Simcity 4 is the best game for those who really want a challenge and who want to built a realistic city using zoning, taxing and much, much more. There are few negative aspects to the game, other than its complexity and sometimes hard economy system but other than those minor issues, its a brilliant game and i recommend it to the more skilled and experienced simulation players.… Expand
  38. matticitt
    Jul 20, 2012
    10
    SimCity 4 is a great game. The graphics has been much improved since SimCity3000, are even by today standards are very good. Also they are rather realistic, not childish and colorful like in other similar games. The music is enjoyable to listen to and makes a great background for what you're doing. The game is not ridiculously hard, like some people say, but it is demanding, which for meSimCity 4 is a great game. The graphics has been much improved since SimCity3000, are even by today standards are very good. Also they are rather realistic, not childish and colorful like in other similar games. The music is enjoyable to listen to and makes a great background for what you're doing. The game is not ridiculously hard, like some people say, but it is demanding, which for me is a good thing, because more and more games tend to get easier these days.

    It's also very enjoyable to play, whether you're trying to create a huge metropolis, or just watch your sims living in your city. The game is now 9yo, and whenever I get a new PC I'm reinstalling SimCity 4 on it, because it's always so fun to play. And then, there are mods. You can literally create an entirely new game with modifications, new buildings, better textures and so on, so If you're bored with std SimCity gameplay, you can always download dozens of new buildings and build yourself a truly custom city of your dreams, which is quite awesome!

    There are some issues though. Fist of which is the lack of widescreen resolutions, which is common to all EA games from that time. It's also quite buggy, and tend to randomly crash with no apparent reason, so you have to remember to save your game often, otherwise you'll loose everything you have been working on. Also when your cities are growing bigger, the loading time is growing with them, so it can become very, very long.    … Expand
  39. chronoT
    Mar 10, 2020
    9
    I can honestly admit that I have spent way too much of my life playing this game. I may have taken a few months or maybe even a year break but going back and playing this game is still fun. The best SimCity to date, far better graphics with an array of options and much improved game play. The mechanics of this game are brilliant and are actually pretty darn realistic in comparison to how aI can honestly admit that I have spent way too much of my life playing this game. I may have taken a few months or maybe even a year break but going back and playing this game is still fun. The best SimCity to date, far better graphics with an array of options and much improved game play. The mechanics of this game are brilliant and are actually pretty darn realistic in comparison to how a real city may be. Another amazing thing about this game is fact that there are thousands of mods, buildings, and cities available for download online that REALLY adds some serious amount of content. Also, I am more excited about SimCity 5 than any other game coming out, it will be epic!

    -HAHA EA played me (and us all) for a fool! Funny to look back years ago when I was "so exited" about SimCity 5, this really was the era that marks the downfall of quality games coming from EA!

    'Fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me... You can't get fooled again!'"
    -George W. Bush, Sept, 17th 2002    … Expand
  40. Hipsterarrow
    Feb 2, 2013
    9
    Combining the superb strategy feeling and the exceptional good gameplay and you'll get the greatest SimCity ever made. Maxis has done a great job. A must have game for all SimCity fans and all the people who wants a citybuilding game!
  41. matijakevic
    Dec 16, 2012
    8
    Really good game. For 2003 game it has really nice graphics and new additions, but sometimes making new city isn't fun because it's repeating all the time, I know there are many mods, maps but game should have it on its own! Anyway, good game!
  42. DeimosMeta
    Mar 12, 2013
    9
    I enjoy this game, although it has its flaws. I appreciate that it is from the era before constantly-online nonsense, and its regional play made it one of the high points in the franchise. However, the traffic simulation left me wanting somewhat, with sims often just deciding not to go to work because they picked a job that was too far away for them...
  43. egn
    Mar 12, 2013
    10
    This game still holds the crown of all city builders, it is the yet-to-be-surpassed pinnacle of the modern city simulation. In terms of detail, fun, replayability, and strategy it has it all. I first bought this game 10 years ago when it was new, and I still play it from time to time even after all those years. This is one of those games that is like that.
  44. Oligharch
    Jun 23, 2013
    10
    This game has to be the most remarkable Simcity game ever made. This game proves to everyone that a game does not have to have stunning visuals to be a great game. I invested years into this game. Modding, and building until my region was filled with beautiful, realistic cities. I played this game for 5 years and I don't regret a single second of it. Simcity 2013... Now that's a wholeThis game has to be the most remarkable Simcity game ever made. This game proves to everyone that a game does not have to have stunning visuals to be a great game. I invested years into this game. Modding, and building until my region was filled with beautiful, realistic cities. I played this game for 5 years and I don't regret a single second of it. Simcity 2013... Now that's a whole different story.… Expand
  45. iddqd4
    Feb 11, 2018
    8
    이 텍스트는 내 프로필에 점수가 표시되도록하기위한 것입니다.
  46. ChrisLight
    Dec 3, 2013
    9
    I really like this game,I spended most of my time on this game because it is very addictive.I build up my own city and watch it grow.Unfortunately,I played on Window 7 it crash randomly.That bug make me had to rate this game 9 out of 10 but it is still a great game!
  47. yedijas
    Mar 20, 2014
    10
    Best SimCity game ever! The complexity in building your empty land into a great city, or town supporting your neighboring city was so great and I keep playing this since published until now.
  48. jerrylee22
    Apr 12, 2014
    10
    Indubitably the best of them all! One of my favourite games of all time, SimCity 4 provides it all in stunning graphics for its publication date and an unbelievable, inspiring, absolutely sensational soundtrack to go along with it!

    Do not be let down by this game's age, it compares to be better than its newer city simulation rivals; I specifically mention SimCity: 2013, which was an    Indubitably the best of them all! One of my favourite games of all time, SimCity 4 provides it all in stunning graphics for its publication date and an unbelievable, inspiring, absolutely sensational soundtrack to go along with it!

    Do not be let down by this game's age, it compares to be better than its newer city simulation rivals; I specifically mention SimCity: 2013, which was an absolute failure compared to this. If you appreciate that game, you will worship this game -- I believe that it is superior in its gameplay, its entertainment value, and its soundtrack.    … Expand
  49. crishy
    Aug 13, 2017
    10
    Almost 15 years and counting, and is still the gold standard in city creation and simulation. Great graphics that were amazing at the time, and, especially with user generated content, are still a pleasure to look at today, even if limited by its four-sided isometric view (understandable due to hardware limitations at the time).

    Tons of user generated content will drastically improve    Almost 15 years and counting, and is still the gold standard in city creation and simulation. Great graphics that were amazing at the time, and, especially with user generated content, are still a pleasure to look at today, even if limited by its four-sided isometric view (understandable due to hardware limitations at the time).

    Tons of user generated content will drastically improve and enhance gameplay, especially in regards with the transportation system, allowing it to remain up to date with newer releases - indeed, it is the reason why the game has stood the test of time for many, although on its own the vanilla game remains a pleasure to play with.

    Region play dozens of cities/tiles to be connected to one single metropolitan area. Simulation is simple and limited in scope (especially beyond the borders of the tile in current play), but it works well, and allows for almost limitless large megalopolises to be created.

    Its only major flaw is that it can be buggy at times, especially in regards to mods, leading to CTDs in specific or random circumstances. Save the game often and that should not be a major problem. Also, if you played SC3000 or before it can be a little hard if you are stuck with old habits, but do not forget to adjust funding (that hospital with only a dozen patients should not get full funding) and you should have no problems in regards with that - personally I find newer simulators harder in the financial aspect.    … Expand
  50. lmca9000
    Jun 28, 2015
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Simcity 4 is a fantastic Building Editor that in 10 years he has not aged, and that continues to prevail as the king of games in construction of modern cities.… Expand
  51. KD5K
    Aug 17, 2015
    8
    Simcity 4 is a game that makes you go wow, this is a good game! Simcity 4 does come with it's flaws, in fact they even published it before they finished it(So i've heard), But that doesn't mean it's bad. this game is perfect for traveling due to 2 reasons: 1. It doesn't require an internet connecton. And 2. It has endless gameplay, literally no end whatsoever. You can play for years andSimcity 4 is a game that makes you go wow, this is a good game! Simcity 4 does come with it's flaws, in fact they even published it before they finished it(So i've heard), But that doesn't mean it's bad. this game is perfect for traveling due to 2 reasons: 1. It doesn't require an internet connecton. And 2. It has endless gameplay, literally no end whatsoever. You can play for years and still play, it last's a lifetime. You can build multiple regions, cities, etc etc. And with the amount of mods for this game, You will never get bored(Like Gmod). I will note that if you want to get Simcity 4, get the deluxe edition! Its only $10 on ebay Brand new and sealed and without the rush hour expansion pack it comes with, the game feels so limited. So i give this game and 8/10 Cause it does come with it's flaws. But it is an amazing game with or without the flaws. I definetely reccomend this game! And if you can't afford this game(Which i find surprising since its only $10 on Ebay) You can still get the open source software micropolis or lincity-NG(Even though Simcity 4 is alot better). They will keep you somewhat busy until you can afford this game.… Expand
  52. Wiebe
    Feb 26, 2020
    8
    Best city building sim out there, still to this day I would say! Sunk many hours in it as a kid.
  53. Opcode_
    Aug 6, 2016
    8
    The best SimCity we have ever had. Sim City 4 is one of the greatest city builders of all time. The deluxe edition is the best. Even 13 years later I still play this game from time to time.
  54. TwerkDouglas
    Jul 25, 2017
    10
    O melhor sim city já existente, interface maravilhosa, bem real e facil de ser administrada, jogo sempre quando posso, recomendo a todos que gostam de um jogo de city
  55. Review123
    Aug 5, 2017
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. will be better with multiplayer.
    good things:
    graphics
    gameplay
    the game is not hard and not easy, its a bit median

    What Is Ruining:
    Ea Dont Update The Game Anymore......    … Expand
  56. ajyto
    Nov 14, 2017
    10
    The old time classic. With more addons and mods, everything just perfect. Even if you need to build the road by piece, by piece, by piece, by piece... by piece... by... piece...
  57. DerekSCritic
    Feb 19, 2019
    10
    Just reinstalled this game on my computer via Origin and it's an absolute blast to play. SimCity 4 is a fantastic city building game! The game is addictive and has a sense of challenge. Playing and managing new cities is incredibly fun and all the features this game offers is mind blowing. Also this game allows you to connect cities with other cities to create regions which is justJust reinstalled this game on my computer via Origin and it's an absolute blast to play. SimCity 4 is a fantastic city building game! The game is addictive and has a sense of challenge. Playing and managing new cities is incredibly fun and all the features this game offers is mind blowing. Also this game allows you to connect cities with other cities to create regions which is just amazing. Even though I had this game on Origin uninstalled for years, I have been enjoyed it ever since I installed it to my computer. Also, I'm surprised that the Deluxe Edition on Origin runs well on modern computers. SimCity 4 is very addictive and the game is an absolute blast to play!… Expand
  58. Mattia9336
    May 29, 2020
    9
    Even in 2020 it is the best SimCity ever. Nowadays Cities Skylines takes averything this game has done right and improves it, but being a 2003 game, SimCity 4 is realli strong. It's pretty hard but fair, so if you want a challenging simulation game this is the one for you
  59. gulbaba1996
    Oct 6, 2022
    8
    Awesome City Game Score 8,5
    Awesome City Game
    Awesome City Game
    Awesome City Game
  60. cezar88augusto
    Feb 26, 2022
    8
    After the success of its predecessor (SimCity 3000), SimCity 4 was even better. The city management system and graphics have improved significantly. Without a doubt, this game marked the time it was released! I still have the CD.
  61. FRIST_008
    Jun 14, 2021
    9
    Ну вы же и без меня знаете, что это был тот самый идеальный симулятор мера, того времени=)
  62. apokalipto
    Aug 13, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  63. DawnOfSili
    Dec 14, 2020
    9
    Sim City 4 was the peak of the Sim City series. For players looking for a modern fix, try SC4 Launcher and Network Addon Mod.
  64. Robims
    Apr 5, 2021
    6
    The game crashes every 30 minutes. But the gameplay and the city feeling is very good.
  65. andyg33
    Nov 23, 2021
    10
    Classic city builder still unrivalled in terms of customization and size. Pretty polished although can be a resource hog with larger maps but with all maps joining the possibilities are endless. With the network addon mod you can do curved roads, many real life road designs and even see which one is best implemented in your town. Will you make an off grid eco town or an industrial nuclearClassic city builder still unrivalled in terms of customization and size. Pretty polished although can be a resource hog with larger maps but with all maps joining the possibilities are endless. With the network addon mod you can do curved roads, many real life road designs and even see which one is best implemented in your town. Will you make an off grid eco town or an industrial nuclear powerhouse for neighbouring cities… Expand
  66. Crimson9
    Dec 24, 2022
    7
    As far as I know, the only city builder game worth playing. There are prettier games out there, but this actually attempts to be a city SIMULATION, not a city painter. It doesn't do an amazing job. The economics are wonky, everything is kind of janky, its easy to break and cheat this game. But its the best thing out there in this genre.
  67. Keron_Heruman
    Aug 28, 2023
    7
    It's a good city builder game, with beautiful graphics and plenty of options... But it is less complete than cities skylines and less fun than simcity 3

Awards & Rankings

25
#25 Best PC Game of 2003
16
#16 Most Discussed PC Game of 2003
14
#14 Most Shared PC Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. GameSpot
    81
    Due to the presence of some stability and performance issues, as well as a few noticeably lacking features, SimCity 4 doesn't seem as polished as it could have been.
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  2. Gaming Age
    83
    Technical sim junkies will have a lot to build, destroy, and monitor, but newbies might want to run for shelter.
    Read full review
  3. GameSpy
    75
    Unfortunately the high system requirements and tedium of building will probably turn away hordes of players who otherwise would've had a great time.
    Read full review
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